Memorable Moments in Nursing

What is your most memorable as a nurse or even as a nursing student?

Pittsburgh Nurse would love to hear from you. It's your memory, whether it is positive or negative. Leave your memory in the comment section or email.

I remember being a new nurse & getting ready to go out after work. I changed in the bathroom in the back hall of the floor. I walked passed one of my patients room & heyelled as I walked past. "Hey Dana, you got nice legs." Keep in mind I was a pediatric nurse. The patient was 8 at the time.

New Design With Nurses in Mind

On May, 2, 2009 Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh opened the doors to a new facility. The old St. Francis Hospital was converted to a new pediatric hospital.

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh was designed by Astorino, the full-service architectural and engineering firm. Astorino created this state of the art facility by utilizing a unique process that gained insights into the hearts and minds of patients, families and staff. The result is a hospital that meets the deepest needs of all who will inhabit this 10-acre campus for generations to come.

Nurses are getting older and fewer young professionals are entering the field of nursing. As a result, meeting the needs of these older nurses has become an issue in healthcare today. Astorino interviewed several nurses to find out what issues they had at work. It was from their input that Astorino attempted to solve these problems through innovative design.

Heavy lifting, inconvenient work stations and labor-intensive equipment were some of the results from the interview. With this in mind, Astorino used its experience in architecture and design to lessen the physical burden that occurs on a daily basis in the field of nursing.

According to, Astorino several features that benefit nurses directly are:

• Computerized room-level observation stations and decentralized nurses’ stations allow caregivers to closely monitor and remain in close proximity of patient
  

Integration of mobile and wireless technologies such as patient alarms via wireless phones add flexibility and eliminate the need for burdensome equipment

Supply cabinets and medicine dispensers in close proximity to patient rooms offer easy access to supplies and medications

As a seasoned nurse, I feel that these are all an excellent benefits. Supplies at my fingertips, computerized charting and wireless phones to communicate, all I can say is WOW! These features have been a long time in coming to the nursing profession.

Resources:
http://discoverdesignbuild.com/?p=143
http://www.gofathom.com/

Pittsburgh Nurse Group

Calling all Pittsburgh Nurses. Are you interested in meeting other nurses? I would like to start a group that would meet to talk about trends, issues & current topics. If interested please contact me at: pittsburghnurse@comcast.net

PA State Board of Nursing CE Update

The PA State Board of Nursing has update the date for obtaining CE's prior to renewing your Nursing License. For details go t0:

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/lib/bpoa/nurseboard/faq_rnce.pdf